HSBC UK has updated an account deal that will now see eligible customers given as much as £790. It said it was “strengthening its Premier proposition with an enhanced welcome package now worth up to £790 for eligible new customers“.

It rewards those who switch their everyday banking or bring their savings and investments to the bank “while unlocking access to a range of premium travel, lifestyle, and wealth benefits”. Earlier this year, HSBC UK launched a £500 Premier Welcome Reward for eligible customers opening an HSBC Premier Bank Account. The offer is available to new customers who either complete a full Current Account Switch Service (CASS) switch and pay in an annual salary of at least £100,000, or deposit and maintain £100,000 or more in savings and investments with HSBC UK.

The Premier proposition has now been “enhanced further”, HSBC said, as customers who successfully apply for an HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard can receive a further £290 cashback, effectively offsetting the card’s annual fee in the first year, HSBC said, bringing the total value of the welcome package to up to £790.

Alongside the cashback, the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard offers customers a range of premium travel benefits. These include complimentary airport lounge access, fast-track security at selected airports, accelerated reward points and other travel privileges.

HSBC said: “The enhanced proposition reflects HSBC UK’s continued investment in its Premier offering, combining premium banking, wealth expertise and travel benefits to help customers get more from their banking.”

Introduction of digital appointment bookings

HSBC UK has also introduced digital appointment bookings. Relationship Manager (RM) and Premier Financial Consultant (PFC)-managed Premier customers can now book appointments through the HSBC UK Mobile Banking app.

The new feature enables eligible customers to book, amend or cancel review appointments directly in the app, choosing whether to meet face-to-face, by phone or via Zoom, making it easier than ever to access personalised support and advice at a time that suits.

Carl Watchorn, head of Premier Proposition at HSBC UK, said: “Our Premier customers want a banking relationship that works harder for them, whether that’s managing their day-to-day finances, growing their wealth, or making the most of travel and lifestyle benefits.

“This enhanced welcome offer rewards customers who choose to bring more of their financial world to HSBC, while introducing them to everything our Premier proposition has to offer. Customers who choose the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard can enjoy premium travel benefits such as complimentary airport lounge access and fast-track security, alongside market-leading rewards that make travelling easier and more rewarding.”

In addition to the Welcome Reward, HSBC Premier customers benefit from dedicated relationship management, international banking support, access to wealth services and a range of travel and lifestyle benefits. Customers who choose the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard also enjoy premium travel privileges, including complimentary airport lounge access, fast-track security at selected airports and accelerated reward points.

Air passengers taking advantage of Jet2’s famously low prices will see the availability of seats on the budget carrier’s flights fall in the coming months, after the travel giant received worse than expected earnings figures.

Around 200,000 seats are set to be withdrawn from sale in the coming months, with 5.6 million available during the winter season. While this would still represent a nine per cent jump in holidays from last year, Jet2 decided to cutback on its expansion following forecasts that the business’ takings would be lower than previously predicted.

This caused a steep drop in the firm’s stock price on Thursday, after analysis indicated that earnings for the year up to March 2026 would be around £449m, up from £446.5m the year before. Share values fell around 13 per cent in the figures’ aftermath.

Jet2 said bargain-hunting flyers were increasingly presenting a “later booking profile”, picking up flights at the last minute and giving the firm “limited visibility” over traveller numbers in the winter period where many of its seats are “still to sell.”

The budget travel firm saw package holiday booking rise 2 per cent over the summer, which ThisIsMoney details as a fall in the eight per cent boom it saw last year. However, these figures also reveal the changing habits of the flying public, with a large 17 per cent increase in flight-only bookings.

Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy told shareholders that the troubling figures were a result of “operating in a difficult market,” but that their growing customer base would “provide the foundation for a solid financial result this year and for further profitable growth in the years to come.”

The low-cost carrier, which held its annual general meeting on Thursday, added that it had implemented a “modest increase” in package holiday prices this summer and that it would be too soon to publish “definitive” figures on the business’ overall profitability.

Last month, Jet2 became the first airline in Britain to offer free plane tickets to some travellers, in the hopes of making their service more accessible for more customers. Now, all families travelling with a child under the age of two will not have to buy a ticket for their tot, whether as part of a package holiday or a single flight.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, told ThisIsMoney: “Millions of people prioritise experiences over material goods, with foreign holidays high up the list of things they scrimp and save for. Such a trend should be positive for airlines and holiday companies, yet countless individuals are leaving it to the last minute to make a booking.

“Jet2 has once again bemoaned this situation, leaving it with cloudy rather than crystal clear earnings visibility. Management cannot keep their fingers crossed that sales will eventually come through; they need certainty given the expense in running a fleet of aircraft and a complex accommodation chain.

“Guidance that full-year earnings will be at the lower end of market forecasts has wiped out Jet2’s share price gains so far this year. It’s a disappointing setback for the business and has dragged down shares in other airlines including EasyJet and Wizz Air.”